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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

1. I had a bad toothache which I ignored for fear of the dentist, till one night it became so unbearable that in my haste to find some painkillers in the kitchen, I found only Aspirin.

2. Upon consuming the Aspirin, I discover that I am allergic to the substance and was rushed to Damansara Specialist Centre (it is a very good hospital, by the way. I highly recommend it).

3. While the Aspirin provided temporary relief for my toothache, its effect eventually wore off – leaving me with a pair of badly swollen eyes and a worse toothache, and made me quite miserable.

4. So I decided, my fear of the dentist was not worth the pain. I plucked up courage and went to see the highly esteemed Dr. Kwok who advised a three step root canal treatment.

5. Today was step two of the recommended three step root canal treatment.

6. I eat like a tortoise nowadays because of the root canal treatment.

7. Rachael took me to Wendy’s today where out of greed I ordered a Spicy Chicken and three Nuggets (because of the root canal treatment, it would take me an entire day to finish a whole burger). We sat at the outdoor seating and there I met a cross-eyed cat.

8. I offered it some of my Spicy Chicken, which it received with much gratitude. But because it looked so funny cross-eyed, I couldn’t help but laugh at it. Then it scratched me. Perhaps I offended it.

The Lord has promised good to me His Word my hope secured He will my Shield and Portion be As long as life endures.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Sunday, November 8, 2009

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

Today Ps. Wai Ming reminded us again that, no matter what happens God is still in control.

The woman with the issue of blood had been suffering for twelve years. Year after year. doctor after doctor – and yet there was no cure for her. By this time, she would have probably gone through a number different rituals, some which would have left her scarred; consumed bitter herbs and what was medicine at that time that would have made her insides burn. Still, she would continue to bleed. Shunned by society, alone in her misery – she had no way out. Failure after failure would have traumatised her, slowly killing whatever hope she’d clung to. She would be, what is today, a cancer victim whom, stricken with stubborn tumors – weakened after years of agonizing bouts of chemotherapy and surgery – is forced to hear doctor after doctor say “I’m sorry, we’ve done everything we could but the tumors are back. Maybe we can try something else.” Or someone who has fallen so deep into depression, that no matter what he does he cannot get out of the war and turmoil raging on in his mind. The harder he tries, the deeper he slips back in.

The woman with the issue of blood refused to give up. She kept believing, there had to be a way out. Though she could not see it, there had to be hope. And when he came, she knew.

Jairus knew.

Hope is here.

So with whatever dignity she had left, she stepped out into a crowd who considered her filth. Ignoring their angry glares and disgusted expressions, she pushed her way through them. Nothing could stop her. Because she knew – he’s the one – her hope, her healing, her salvation.

The times have changed, but we have not. We still need hope. Jesus is our only hope.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Today I wore to the exam hall the SAME outfit I wore to CHURCH yesterday – a black tank top WITH SEELVES and loose striped slacks. I pulled on a long pink cardi over these and thought I looked pretty decent. The only skin I allowed exposed was the skin of my neck, face and hands.

Upon entering the hall, I had barely sat down when a short man donning a songkok came up to me and said, in no distinguished manner, “You tak tau ke, regulasi pemakaian peperiksaan? Ini macam pakai pergi disco!” and proceeded to make me fill in a red form warning me to never again enter the exam hall, scantily clad. Apparently he could see my arms through the sleeves of my cardigan.

In these times, I want to yell “WHAT THE HECK?!” and throw a fork or a pen. But instead, I think I should say, “Nevermind la”, and turn the other cheek. Sigh.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Decided to make myself a healthy-diet-exam-stay-at-home-save-money kit, which basically are ingredients for ham sandwiches and some fruits. Not trusting Kajang Giant to have ham in their stock (I was right), I went to Tesco thinking, you know, Tesco is from the UK. UK people eat ham all the time.

Ham ham ham.

So I walked around Tesco looking out for a nice sales lady behind a cold cuts counter who would timbang some ham for me, like the one in the KJ Giant Mall. I walked round and round until people started looking at me, still I could not find any ham.

I suppose people were looking at me because after awhile I had a frown on my face. I just could not believe there isn't any ham in TESCO! Hmmph.

I refused to give up - so I asked the cashier at the bakery section, "Excuse me, nak tanya sikit...kat sini ada jual ham tak?" (How do you say ham in BM?) He just looked at me and then after awhile pointed to his lady colleague standing nearby, "Tanya dia".

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Travelling on a bus at night. Stopping at rest stops in the wee hours of the morning. Sitting in an airplane as it takes off from the ground and as it lands. Snuggling up in bed with a mug of hot coffee and a good on a rainy day. Having dinner al fresco in the evening, just before the sun sets and it’s windy. Cosy home-cooked dinners with my best friends and jazz music playing in the background. Swings. The sea. Hotels. The way libraries smell. All kinds of flowers. Zoos and aquatic parks. Sleeping in. Breakfast. Taking walks when it’s windy. CHRISTMAS! Cold, rainy days. Cendol on rainy days. Quiet day-offs. Camping and river hiking up to the waterfall. Lakesides. Picnics when it’s not hot out. Kittens :) Cranberry muffins. Talking to Mr. God while watching the sun rise in the morning.

Friday, October 9, 2009

1. Identify the wrong argument or pretension that establishes itself against God. Identify what is wrong with it.

2. Identify the ways the stronghold has become established – through the flesh, desire, society, or the devil. Read 1 John 4: 1-6 about testing the spirits. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. (1 John 4: 1-6)

3.Identify the spiritual weapons for the warfare, in contrast to the worldly solutions.

4. Declare war on the thought or pretension that positions itself against the knowledge of Christ by - a. Using thoughts or arguments from the Word; b. Claiming the mind of Christ; c. Using spiritual weapons (see Eph 6:11-17- truth, righteousness,readiness, faith, salvation, the Word of God), followed by asking for the power of the Spirit through prayer. d. Boldly making the truth of the gospel clear (see Eph 6:19) e. Claiming the victory by faith. Remember, “the One who is in you is greater that the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) Christ has defeated Satan and has spoiled all of the principalities.

5. Win the victory promised in 1 John 5:2-3, 18-20 by - a. Loving God. b. Keeping His commands. c. Being sure that you are born of God. d. Believing that Jesus is God’s Son. e. Believing that because God keeps you safe, the evil one cannot harm you.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Watch and listen to this young man giving his testimony before being baptized. Read also what Sue Ann writes about what it means to be called, like Lazarus - out of death and decay, and to be given a second chance to life.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

“As I sit here in the window of this cottage, I can see a sailboat skimming silently along the horizon. It is a beautiful image of freedom. But the freedom of the sailboat to move so swiftly and beautifully is the result of of obedience to laws.The builder of the boat had to know the proper ratio of beam to keel to mast. The one who sails the boat obeys the rules of sailing. A ship tacking against the wind moves deviously, but when she runs with a strong tide or a following wind she takes to herself the power of tide and wind and they become her own. She is doing the thing she was made for. She is free not by disobeying the rules but by obeying them

Modern highways are often called freeways, but how much freedom of movement would there be if each driver were encouraged to choose any lane, any speed, any direction that happened to appeal to his fancy at the moment?

I noticed on Boston Common a sign saying “Please,” which the public was expected to understand was short for “Please keep off the grass.” Almost everybody had obeyed that sign and that’s why there was still some grass. But there were a few people sitting on the grass in defiance of the sign. Their freedom to sit on the grass instead of on bare dirt was dependant on the majority’s having denied themselves the privilege. The majority had made a choice to allow grass to grow. Their choice meant restriction, a willingness to limit themselves to the walks. It meant not doing what they wanted to do in order to have something they wanted more. The freedom of the few was bought at the sacrifice of many.

This is the crux of the question of liberty and liberation. Does it mean casting off all restrictions? (Could a ship sail without them?) Does it mean doing what we feel like doing and not doing what we don’t?

It means discipline. It means doing the things we were meant for. What is it to which we are called, we women under God?”

- Elisabeth Elliot, ‘Let me be a woman’.

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the laws of the Lord.

Blessed are they who keep His statutes, who seek Him with all their heart.

They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways.

You have laid down percepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees!

Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands.

I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

I’m feeling a little bit overwhelmed. There are too many things to do, too many people to deal with and attend to and I’m a bit too tired. My prayer is not that You would take it all away. I thank You that You have given me work, because it teaches me that I need You. My prayer is that You would give me a pure heart, that You would make me a light bulb, just the glass part, and You be the tungsten -that You would shine in me and through me. Help me to love, not as I know how to love, but to love them as You love them. I know You love them, furiously, and Your Heart aches for them. Help me to love them like that. Help me to be patient and kind, even when it doesn’t make any sense to be. Especially then.

Most of all, help me to be faithful. And to be faithful only to You. Then everything else will be an overflow of what it means to be with You. Because You are everything.

Give me a pure heart, one just like Yours I can serve You with each day With no distractions, My words and my actions Will magnify Your Name In everything that I do I want to glorify You Give me a pure heart, one just like Your heart Give me a pure heart I pray.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

The oppression against the Penan tribe has been known to us for a long time. They have, for many years, protested against the logging of their forests, which is their main source of livelihood, but they are powerless against the Government backed logging projects. Then they cried out to us for help, because the exploitation of their natural resources has cut off their food supply. They are starving. They have time and again reported rape and sexual molestation of their women, but it has fallen on ear-phone plugged ears. They have pleaded with the Government to provide them with transportation for their children to go to school located hours away from their villages, but no help has been sent, placing them at the mercy of timber lorry drivers. We hear their cry at a distance, but we are too caught up with our own music to really pay attention.

Read the article published last year below. The crimes the logging companies have committed against them are atrocious. They have robbed them of their basic rights as human beings. But by not responding to their desperate cries for help, by sitting white-washed, fat and rich upon our wallets, we are just as bad.

The Star, Monday October 6 2008 : Violated By Loggers

By HILARY CHIEW

Pictures by SIA HONG KIAU

Teenage schoolgirls have become the latest target of unscrupulous timber workers.

BLOCKADES have sprung up again in middle Baram in the midst of the padi planting season in interior Sarawak.

Several Penan communities have abandoned the padi fields to put up symbolic barricades - flimsy wooden gates across logging roads - to stop encroachment into the last stretch of remaining ancestral forest in a region that has seen extensive logging over the last 25 years.

The once-nomadic tribe, noted for their unwavering rejection of logging on their territory and synonymous with blockades since the late 1980s, is fighting a losing battle against the Government-backed timber industry.

At grave risk : Young Penan women bathing and washing in a polluted river next to their sett lement. As the Penan communities in middle Baram struggle to stave off the continuous destruction of their ancestr al lands by logging firms, their womenfolk are being victimised by timber company workers.

Yet another sinister threat has crept into the remote communities €“ Penan women, especially the young ones, are preyed on by workers from logging companies.

The Swiss group charged that workers from two timber companies were preying on Penan women in the various settlements within the companies’ operation areas, and targeting female students who relied on the companies’ transportation service to get to school.

Students from middle Baram are boarders in secondary schools in the interior towns of Long Lama and Long San, which could take up to a week to travel on foot from their villages. The Baram district in Miri division is almost as big as the state of Perak.

The allegations were flatly denied by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu who dismissed the NGO’s claims as baseless. Jabu, who is also Rural Development Minister, challenged BMF to name the villages otherwise “it would be a waste of time to investigate”.

Largely ignorant of their rights and not well-versed in criminal law, the Penans have long suffered the transgression against their womenfolk in silence.

The problem is further compounded by stigmatisation associated with rape in the predominantly Christian communities.

Sexual violations

A visit to several villages reveals the prevalence of sexual abuse since the advent of commercial logging. Village leaders who readily air their grouses of hardship brought by logging are hesitant to talk about the sexual exploitation by workers from nearby logging camps.

Bulan Laing, a female elder of Long Pakan claims that violation of the women began around 1996 when a logging company began operation in middle Baram.

Nonetheless, at Long Pakan, Bulan Laing, a female elder claims that violation of the women began around 1996 when a Miri-based logging company arrived.

“There have been three pregnancies so far; the last one was in 2006. In one case, the woman married the Indonesian worker who violated her but was later divorced after she was sexually abused by another worker,” recalls Bulan.

Asked if the cases were reported to the police, Bulan appears not to know that rape is a criminal offence.

“We complained to the camp manager. He assured us that they would take action against their men but we’re still suffering.”

Her husband, headman Pada Jutang, says: “We’ve lost hope in the police taking any action. So we stopped going to them.”

He says the workers come to the village in small groups of not more than five, either on motorcycle or by company vehicle, with alcoholic drinks and entice the young men to join them for drinking binges at night.

“They become bold after several drinks and will coax our boys to bring them to houses with young women or girls.

Long Pakan headman Pada Jutang says his people lost hope in police taking any action and stopped going to them.

“Or they bring along instant noodles and persuade the victims to cook them a meal on the pretext that they have not yet had dinner. They then hang around and wait for the chance to strike after other occupants of the house turn in for the night,” adds Balan.

Bulan explains that young Penan men are curious about “anything from the cities” and are easily influenced despite advice by village leaders to be wary of these outsiders. She also suspects that the victims could have been drugged.

Balan laments that complaints to the company’s managers on the ground are not taken seriously.

“There are always new workers showing up. They are also good at covering their tracks and the camp manager refuses to investigate or take action,” he says dejectedly. Like Pada, Balan says he has given up on the police.

Further north in the Apoh region, Long Belok’s headman Alah Beling recalls no less than four cases of sexual violation. The latest incident resulted in a baby born last December. He reckons that the known numbers could just be the tip of the iceberg. Victims who do not end up with unwanted pregnancies may choose to remain silent to hide their shame.

Easy targets

It appears that schoolgirls are the latest to be preyed upon, according to villagers at Long Kawi, next to Long Item. They complain that timber workers come to the village during the day to identify the young girls and return later at night to carry out their plans. The harassment gets worse during the school holidays when the girls are around.

But the latest revelation of female students being made to stay overnight in logging camps, thus exposing them to sexual abuse, has plunged the Penan community into despair.

The Penans have abandoned their nomadic lifestyle so that their young ones could get an education and have a better life.

“If we don’t send our children to school, we are blamed. But providing them transportation is beyond our ability. We are at the mercy of the timber companies. We’ve to beg them to ferry our children to the secondary schools which are far away.

“I walk my younger children to Long Kevok (a four-hour drive away) to attend primary school. This problem was discussed at the school’s parent-teacher association meetings a few years ago. The school asked us to get help from the Government. There were promises but we’re still waiting,” says Galang Jutang, Pada’s younger brother.

Principal of SMK Long Lama, Ng Cheng Soo, acknowledges that transportation remains a huge problem for Penan students who make up about 12% of the 945 pupils.

“We put in a proposal for a transport allocation in 2006 to the Resident Office in Miri,” says Ng. Resident Ose Murang could not be reached for comment on the status of the proposal.

Ng adds that Penan students are catching up in their studies as shown by their better examination results and lower dropout rates.

“We hold special remedial classes and show them that we care for them. They appreciate it and they like coming to school. Penan kids are the first to volunteer for any gotong-royong events,” Ng says, adding that being rather timid, Penan students are easily bullied.

Instances of students trekking in the jungle for days to get to school and even missing major examinations when company transportation fails to materialise, are common. Hitching a ride by the side of dusty logging roads makes teenage girls especially vulnerable.

Following recent publicity of the alleged sexual abuse of Penan women in the local media, Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohmad Salleh says the force needs a police report to be lodged to facilitate investigations.

Dismayed by the police response, the Women’s Centre for Change pointed out that according to the Child Act 2001, the authorities must take action if they suspect child sexual abuse has taken place. Under the Act, anyone below the age of 18 is a child.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Human Rights Commission have announced that they will investigate the claims.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fuh. It's been a full day man. One activity after another, only stopped for chicken rice - very nice :)

But I'm glad to be home. This is what it's like to be home.

Sometimes its a bit too much. Run here, run here. No time to stop, think and be alone, not like in uni. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it here! I love the sights, the sounds, the smells, the taste of PJ. PJ tastes like cranberry muffins.

Though I guess once uni ends (and with it, Kajang will end for me too), I would have to learn to create pauses for myself, because pauses are really good. One should not do without pauses.

LYPG today was awesome. We continued the plowing work, it's not over yet. But we're getting there! I can just feel it...we're getting there! Soon! Soon! Keep it up, comrates. Don't back down! Press on! We'll see it in no time.

Went for Joshua Chua's birthday party, and I'm really glad we did.

Happy Birthday Joshua!

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you, and give you peace :)

FY is getting married next week! The First among us! Congrats! Wowwow!! :) Exciting!

7 days to Raya! Better makan puas-puas while the Ramadan Bazaars are still in town. After that we'd have to wait a whole year!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I keep reading about how chuntothemoon Live Writer is, and thought I’d try it out for myself – hey!I’m blogging from Live Writer! This way, I don’t have to wait for ‘toopid Blogspot to load, which takes a million years!

It’s very hot today, so my wash dried fast and easy. We have a 10 page essay due tomorrow, which I have not started AND Dr. Megat insists that we have to present our film review today. Sheesh. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

Went to read and have dinner by myself [ :( ] @the New Delifrance behind PKNS yesterday. And I was the ONLY customer when I went in, and the only customer when I came out. Service was good, because I was the only customer. They gave me a HUGE piece of soft garlic baguette to eat with my Beef Bolognese [ :) ] –maybe because no one else eat; and the waiter who served me was cute. Hehe. [ :P ]

The Cappuccino there is really yummy! and comes in a huge mug. Halfway through dinner I realised the mug they used for my cappuccino was the same one they used for my mushroom soup. Haha. + a cookie + a date. (Kurma la, not cute waiter I hope Mr. Lee does not read this. [ :P ]

Monday, August 24, 2009

Went to church in the morning. Thank You for a wonderful time, Lord :)

Sat down on the landing in front of the entrance with Inkkie and Jack, and let them brainwash me.

Had kopi ais with Lisa, Yeuwks, James and Mr. Lee. Couldn't finish my cuppa, so I gave Mr. Lee the rest. Cost RM 1.50.

Accompanied Lisa to Tmn. Megah to sign for her *ehhem* grey new toy. There were a lot of papers to sign. We perah-ed freegifts out of the salesman, till we couldn't think of anything else to ask for.

Had limau madu ais at the Old Town Kopi Tiam, which cost RM 3.60. CRAZY EXPENSIVE RIGHT? ...I contradict myself. I keep saying it, but I keep going back there.

After helping to load and unload some children's books, went to KL with Mr. Lee. RELA workers were catching foreigners and cramming and shoving them into trucks; like dogs being sent to the pound. It was hot enough outside, imagine what it was like inside the truck. I saw it as an abuse of power of the part of the RELA, and a violation of the basic human rights of the foreigners - unfair, because the foreigners were helpless. I was saddened and wondered what I could do, what we all could do to change things.

Made friends with the purse salesman in KL Sentral, who told me he's eaten crocodile and elephant meat, and monkey's brains out of a monkey while it's still alive. He says the shop's in Pudu. It's too much. I'm going to report this to SPCA.

Had dinner out of a bento box, and then Mr. Lee and I watched UP!. In 3-D! We had to wear some special reflective glasses to see the 3-D effects. Coolness to fullness!

*Some people in front of us snuck in and ate some Ohmygosh-smelly-until-can-faint something disgusting. It smelt like this - imagine a cross between chow-tow-foo, sweaty feet that have been in a shoe for too long and herbal chicken soup. It smelt like that, and I suspect that was what it was. I couldn't take the stink - yes, stink - after awhile, so I whispered as gently and politely as I could, without gagging, "Excuse me, the smell from the stuff you're eating is really strong. Do you mind not eating it here?" And the guy replied "Ok, ok". Hmmmph! Inconsiderate AND rude! We should have (would have) reported them, had we not (too) snuck in Krispy Kreme. But Krispy Kreme does NOT emit a pungent odour!

After Mr. Lee had enough of looking at cameras, we had coffee in Austin Chase in Pavillion. Cynthia and Goh said we should. So we did. I recommend the iced cappuccino! Yums! :)

Bought bread which was going cheap (because they were about to close) from Bread Talk. 5 breads for RM 10!

There were people throwing coconuts on the street in Brickfields. At 11 pm! Made friends with an Aunty standing nearby who told me it was a hindu god's birthday. I don't understand the throwing coconuts part though.

Friday, August 21, 2009

One night, I dreamt I was walking along a hillside with Jesus. The weather was perfect, the sky was blue and the air was cool; and Jesus and I were walking hand in hand, talking like the best and oldest of friends. We stopped at a tree with some big rocks under it and sat down, still talking. Jesus was listening with great interest to the things I had to say. Halfway talking to Jesus, I looked up and saw in a distance, someone I knew. All of a sudden I felt a sudden compulsion to run up to that person to talk to him, and so I did. But, while telling that person what I felt I had to so urgently convey, I felt convicted and with my head hung I went back to Jesus and said "Lord, I'm sorry for running off like that, it was so rude of me". Jesus looked at me, and said "It's ok. Come, let's try again".

So we got up from our rocks, and continued on our stroll, walking and talking as we had before. As usual, I did more of the talking, hardly allowing Jesus to say anything. But He listened patiently, and paid great interest in what I had to say.After a short while, I looked up, and was again distracted by what I saw - a friend in a distance. And just as before, I felt a sudden urge to run up to that person, thus again interrupting my conversation with the Lord. And as before, halfway, I realized my rudeness and went back to Jesus to apologize. As before, He said, "It's ok. Come, let's try again".

The scenario repeated itself again and again. I would run off suddenly and run back to Him in repentance and He would say "It's ok. Come, let's try again" Each time I ran off, Jesus would stay where we were, waiting for me to come back.

After some time, the day turned into evening, and the sky had grown dark. I noticed this while talking to the friend I had run off to. As before, I went back to Jesus, but this time knowing that our day together was drawing to an end, I was grieved and cried "Lord, I'm so sorry. Please teach me to be undistracted!". At this, Jesus looked at me, and loving me unconditionally, despite everything that I'd done, He said "It's okay. Let's try again tomorrow".

Monday, July 20, 2009

As a Christian, I cannot keep to my seat, or shut my mouth and stay neutral over issues of morality.

So I emerge today from my several months of silence and non-involvement to say that what transpired yesterday is immoral, unacceptable and unconscionable.

Why was a witness being held for questioning for ten hours and only released at 3.45am? What kind of case is it and what is the urgency of the case in question that the witness had to be deprived of sleep and forcibly kept awake till 3.45am? Was the nation deemed to be in grave danger had the witness in question been sent home at a respectable time and asked to report again for questioning the next morning?

The nation could endure long years of waiting over so many other much longer pending cases involving so much more public money and have much greater weight in public interest but this particular case could not wait for the next morning when the witness in question would have been fresher and better rested?

What kind of interrogation was he subjected to on the fateful night without end? Why was it that a witness had to be isolated from his lawyer and forced to be in the sole company of officers with no other neutral person/s present? Because he was in the sole company of officers who were interrogating him, how would his side of the story be ever told? And how would, why should the officers in question be trusted when they tell the nation what actually transpired during that fateful night the witness lost his life?

There were no other witness/es present so how would these officers in question clear their own involvement or clear their own names in this sad story?

Isn’t it true that a medical doctor should carry out the examination of a patient of the opposite sex in the presence of at least one other person? This is a wise procedure so that should any allegation of wrongful conduct be raised against him or her, the doctor would have some neutral testimony to defend him or her.

There have been too many instances of contravention against natural justice in this country involving the agencies and instruments of state. There have been too many victims. The neutrality of these instruments of state is questionable.

I CANNOT REMAIN NEUTRAL ABOUT ISSUES OF MORALITY.

This is not about partisan politics. I expect my friends from both sides of the parliamentary divide to speak up. I expect to hear from all political parties and all who hold public office at all levels to speak up. I want especially to hear from Maximus Ongkili, Bernard Dompok, Lee Hwa Beng, Loh Seng Kok who publicly profess the Christian Faith to speak up.

I expect the churches and the church leadership to speak up including those I know personally such as Hwa Yung, Ng Moon Hing and many others.

Of course all of the above persons should state their own views and even fault my manner of speaking or reasoning. But silence is not an option. Leaders do not have the option of keeping their opinion to themselves. They must lend their voices to voices which have been silenced.

A young life has been lost on the very eve of his wedding. Siblings, parents, colleagues and a fiancee are in inconsolable grief. WHY SO? WHO WILL BE NEXT?

Friday, July 10, 2009

It's been the First Week. And I've been getting a lot of exercise, brisk walking around the campus looking for lecturers, trying to take just the right subject at just the right time because my class times keep clashing, because I'm taking too many subjects.Much thanks be to Father in Heaven for letting me take the subject I really wanted to take. I almost didn't get to. But nothing istoo difficult for my tycoon Dad up there. :)

Meeting my old friends again - the used bookstore and Nescafe cafe - has been greatly comforting. I shall hit the pool soon.

While cleaning out our mini-room on Monday, I found a dead cockroach under my bed. It has been there, dead, for so long that when I tried to sweep its (yech) rotting shell onto a dustpan with a broom, it quite literally just fell apart. There was nothing left of its body to hold its head, feelers, legs and (shudder) wings together. I am still trying to recover from the fact that a cockroach has been decaying under my very being for a WHOLE SEMESTER!!!

Urgh. *Shudder.

===========

We (Mich and I) have changed the decor of our mini-room. We've arranged our beds and tables to form a square and we now have a small space in the middle where we can put a rug and dance about, or sit down and talk nonsense if we wanted to. So much space for activities! This is what I call optimizing space; and I can't imagine why we didn't think of this arrangement before!!!

Mich says it's because we were "saving it for this year".

We have some new neighbours too! Some of them are pretty dodgy, though. The ones living next to us are ok - nice, quiet, respectful boys studying at the vocational school near here. The ones staying in the lot opposite to ours, however, keep waving at us (they can see through mine and Mich's windows into our room). It doesn't help that our windows are pretty huge. So now we keep our curtains drawn most of the time.Because of them, I was at first a little apprehensive to hoist my colours, if you know what I mean. But then I thought to myself, "why should I let a couple of itchy, bored boys keep me from wearing clean underwear?!". At present, our room is as colourful as ever. :D

So, I've reached Friday (phew!). And to think it's only been the first week! As He has been reminding me over and over again during the holidays; I gotta hold on tight to the True Source, to Him, Jesus.He will carry me throughUntil the battle's done and the victory is wonMy God will carry me through.

Things are moving pretty slowly. Slow like snail. But maybe sometimes slow is good. Good is steady. Steady is snail. Slow is steady.Slow and steady :)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

There's a whole longgok of durian in a sack from Suateng downstairs. I can smell them from here, but I haven't touched any. I've been waiting, wanting this, Durian Season, since February. But now that it's here, I find that I don't really want it anymore.

It's funny how that happens, isn't it? We imagine something to be thoroughly amazing when we don't have it, even adding in our own 'bits of nice' to it, but when we have it for real, we find that we're unable to truly menghayati because we've used up everything on the imaginary.

My Papa tells me to "Learn to spend wisely".

In recent times, Sue Ann, Stephy and I went on a food fast, and then on a food fest in Seremban, Melaka and then Kluang; where we had (no meals and then) many meals in a single meal. :DMany thanks to God, Colin, Makkoh, Cathy, Tim, Jules, Wai Yan, Isaac, Paulus, Joan, Joy, aunty and uncle Lee and Abigail for making it all so memorable for us :) We shall do it again!

Am currently waiting still (I almost always am, aren't I?) may it be for not too much longer ...anyhow, I bet I'll learn treasures from this. Am slightly nervous; so please Lord, teach me to trust You more and cling on to that trust, or rather to You.And to youWho are waiting too,Be of stout heart, Dear OneBecause I know; if I were to know anything it would be this : That He loves us and He will walk us to the end, wherever that end may be.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

After snuffy made me look at her class' yearbook pictures, I felt nostalgic and wanted to look at our Upper Six 6 yearbook page again. ('Cos our layout was so cool)I went to my bookcase and looked for my last Taman SEA yearbook, Samudra 2007 and couldn't find it. The first thought that came to my mind was "Sue Ann took it. -.-". And was going to yell down the stairs to her to ask where it is, when I counted backwards and realised;

Friday, May 15, 2009

I thought it was Saturday already because today (it's now Friday in the 2.38 a.m.) I woke up at seven a.m., which is something like eight hours earlier than I normally do. And then just now at 2.28 (now it's 2.39), it felt like TWO days have passed instead of one, felt a lot longer than it usually does.

I really should start waking up earlier.

The highlights of the day were :

The dodgy transaction was quick and painless (Thank You, Lord)

Mak Yee and I met up for diluted Japanese Green Tea and Nyonya food, which was great (both the meet up and the food. Definitely not the green tea tho. yech. Don't go to O*iental Cra*ings)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Being up at this hour - it's not even really bright out yet - has it perks. For one thing, hot coffee actually tastes nice and warm, like hot coffee should.It's also really cold because it rained last night, and I know it won't be this cold for long (I give it two hours for the heatwave to come back) and I should take advantage of the morning and go for a walk or something. But I'm scared 0f getting my arm slashed by desperate foreign workers who would do anything for some petty cash :(

Ok, ok. One shouldn't be so gloomy and dreary in the morning, especially on a beautiful morning such as this. The birds are chirping outside, so I should chirp too.

Monday, May 11, 2009

complain.The long awaited holidays are finally here. When I was not on holiday, I had all sorts of plans for these next two months. Work? Not work? Shop? But how to shop without work? Go for MYPG/FWP/etc? Who would hire me for work for only one month, then?So, despite having all these plans - too many in fact - I'm now sitting here; it's the first day of my 2 month (on the calendar, May has 31 days and June has 30) break, and I find myself wondering what to do with, well, myself.Actually there are alot of things I could do, all the stuff I'd left for later for all the times I had procrastinated.Like clean out the fish bowl.Finish making last year's Christmas present that I owe everyone.Finish reading the pile of books that I had gone through halfway. (and had left for later because I found something more enjoyable to read)Clean out my closet.Clean my room.

But I just don't want to do them now,maybe later. Heh.

It doesn't help that it's suuuuuuuper hot and the sky is as blue as kerabu (no sign of rain), and the aircond in my room went *pok* yesterday and wouldn't turn on since.

Today, all I've done is make myself a mug on Nescafe Regular and put ice.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

2.36 a.m. , Thursday in the wee hours . I'll just post in this old (post) bcos I like the green smiling gecko. It's so darn cute.Am up because I downed some packet cappuccino (Indocafe) that doesn't taste anything like cappucino. Ah well, at least it keeps me awake. I have two tests tomorrow, and a pile of articles and notes to read before those two tests.And as usual I'm being easily distracted, first by lisalisa! and rachieboo and shannon and jo; then by some Tomato Cottage Fries; then bt Joshua Chin's new blog that has three posts and now by the green smiling gecko. It's darn cute, isn't it.

I'm supposed to be studying, and I'm supposed to be on diet. Will I make it? Well, we'll see.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

What day is it? And in what month?This clock never seemed so aliveI can't keep up and I can't back downI've been losing so much time

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to doNothing to loseAnd it's you and me and all other peopleAnd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out rightI'm tripping on wordsYou've got my head spinningI don't know where to go from here

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to doNothing to proveAnd it's you and me and all other peopleAnd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you nowI can't quite figure outEverything she does is beautifulEverything she does is right

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to doNothing to loseAnd it's you and me and all other peopleAnd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of youand me and all other people with nothing to doNothing to proveAnd it's you and me and all other peopleAnd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

Thursday, April 2, 2009

It's the 13th week! Woooohooo! :DNext week will be the 14th and last week of my 4th semester and second year in UKM and then....holidays! Yaaaaaaayyy!!I know...I ought to behave more grown up. But what can I say? I still put up a fight going to school.I was sent to kindergarden at the age of 3, and even though I went to Eden (which is a 5 minute walk from my house), my parents had to charter a bus sekolah to bring me to kindergarden because I would throw a fit every morning and refuse to walk to school.It was the same every morning when I got to primary school and in high school. And same bus, driven by Uncle Bas picked me up every morning, for 12 years.Nowthe battle is within myself. Uncle Bas doesn't pick me up anymore, I drive myself to class; and I have no one to argue with about going to school, except myself. It's been a long battle. Haha. Hats off to Uncle Bas who put up with me all those years.

WE at the Malaysia Think-Tank look forward to your upcoming appointment. We apologise for not being able to address you by name yet, as that would transgress the prerogative of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Your judgment and wisdom will affect the fate of our democracy and the future of 27 million Malaysians. We urge and beseech you to lead Malaysia to greater heights in your new office by pursuing the ideals espoused by our Proclamation of Independence and other founding documents, and by continuing the narrative towards freedom and prosperity that our various histories have woven to get to where we are today.

We implore you to act upon the following:

» Defend the rule of law. Observe, protect and advance the rule of law, by: respecting the independence of the judiciary; restoring dignity to our courts; and upholding the supremacy of the constitution so that Malaysians from every background may understand and uphold it too

» Liberate the people. Free the people from the despair of poverty and the crutches of dependency, by: encouraging entrepreneurship, cutting bureaucracy and ensuring that the tax regime does not stifle growth and innovation; allowing individuals to mature and develop, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to be able to work and play in an environment that suits them best; and by allowing Malaysians to believe in God and to be loyal to King and country in their own manner.

» Limit the role of government. Reinforce our federal structure, by: acknowledging that central government does not have the answers to everything; restoring the rightful powers of the state governments; further decentralising power where it will result in greater competition and efficient delivery of services; and to gain the cooperation of states run by different political parties.

» Free the market. Uphold our inclination towards free markets; let the rakyat access the goods and services they prefer without the protectionism that cripples competition; and recognise that the welfare of the people can be advanced with the help of civil society collaborating with the private sector.

We believe passionately and resolutely that effective leadership and urgent action on your part on these four principles will unite the people and ensure continued peace and prosperity, and enable Malaysia to become the envy of the world, so that every Malaysian citizen can confidently say, as Tunku Abdul Rahman so proclaimed upon the ancient fields of Malacca, that we are a nation "founded upon the principles of liberty and justice".

Twenty more

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain